Tug and Barge prevented from grounding

A Coast Guard boatcrew assisted a tug and barge past fast-moving ebb tide conditions near West Haven Marina preventing a barge from running aground, Thursday evening. The boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor towed while the tug pushed the barge to safety.

The captain of the tug MaryAnne called for assistance due to being beset by the ebb tide, which was running at about 4.6 mph. The MaryAnne had been only able to maintain position for the previous two hours at Light 7 with no forward movement with the barge carrying an excavator and 30 tons of rock.

The Coast Guard crew was already underway preparing for training with an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, but diverted to assist. The boatcrew rigged a towing line and worked with the crew of the MaryAnne to get to safe water and moor up.

The estimated weight of the loaded barge was about 160 tons while the maximum allowable weight to be towed by an MLB without a waiver is 150 tons. The full weight of the barge was never fully on the MLB because of the assistance from the MaryAnne